Tramadol-linked deaths a major concern in Dabwali

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, December 5

The death of four persons in Dabwali subdivision of Sirsa district in about a fortnight indicates the seriousness of the drug addiction problem among youths in the region, which shares borders with Punjab and Rajasthan. Dabwali was recently upgraded to a police district to curb the drug menace through effective policing.

Talking about the deadly tramadol injection, sources said addicts found it cheaper to use the tablets. They made a liquid dose of the tablets by crushing it into a powder and injecting the liquid with a syringe.

According to information, a youth died at his home in Abubshhar yesterday. Another youth of the same village was found dead on November 17. The youth used to work as a daily wager and was married, but his family did not report the matter of his death to the police suspecting legal trouble, said a villager.

On November 19, a body was found lying near the Block Development and Panchayat office in Dabwali. The body had syringe marks on hands and legs, indicating that the victim could be an addict.

The next day, a 25-year-old youth died during treatment at a hospital in Bathinda. Hailing from Mangeana village in Sirsa district, his family too did not report the incident to the police.

Rajender, a resident of Abubshahar village, said the situation was getting out of control in their village and many other villages in the region. “Our village is about 7 km from Punjab and Rajasthan borders. It is easier for drug peddlers to supply drugs in the villages here,” he said, adding that after the police stepped up vigil in the area and intensified crackdown on local peddlers, the prices of drugs had also gone up. “Even the cost of a tramadol pill has shot up by 4-5 times,” said another villager.

Dr Mahender Bhadu, Civil Surgeon in Sirsa district, said it was unsafe to take any drug. “We came to know that the addicts have been injecting tramadol and other drugs by crushing them. This is extremely dangerous as it results in a clot in the blood,” he said, adding that even the post-mortem examination could not detect the drug as it showed the reason of death as heart or lung failure due to clotting.

Dabwali DSP Rajinder Singh, however, said they had not received any information about the deaths due to overdose recently. “We will take action if anybody reports a case,” he said.

The locals, however, maintained that tramadol had become notorious as a “deadly dose” in the region. Families usually do not report the matter to the police and perform the last rites quietly,” a resident added.